The present invention relates to network switches, and more particularly to an intelligent apparatus capable of sharing a single user I/O interface among all intelligent modules thereof.
Network technology has known a rapid and a spectacular development leading to the development of various network switches. The network switches are widely used today in our daily life and work. Such not only facilitates information communication but also brings a great convenience to both our life and work. Moreover, people demand more from network as the technology evolves. For example, people demand network to provide convenient, fast, integrated and diversified services. Thus, an intelligent network switch is developed.
A standard bone 8 implemented in a conventional intelligent network switch apparatus is shown in FIG. 1. As illustrated, a plurality of independent network switches 81, 82, 83, 84, and 85 are provided on an intelligent network switch stack. Each network switch is enclosed in its respective housing and thus has unique electronics, central processing unit (CPU), and network operating system. Each network switch has an associated user input/output (I/O) interface (e.g., RS-232) 811, 821, 831, 841, or 851. Hence, network management person may couple a network monitoring device to the user I/O interface for performing network monitoring and management, system configuration and debugging, and software updating. In view of the above, it can be readily understood that in the conventional network switch apparatus, the plurality of network switches 81, 82, 83, 84 and 85 stacked on the intelligent network switch apparatus are independent from each other. As such, each network switch is capable of communicating with a coupled network device. In a case that a network management person desires to test the network switches through network devices coupled thereto, the network management person has to couple the network devices to the user I/O interfaces 811, 821, 831, 841 and 851 sequentially prior to performing a required monitoring task.
A newly developed intelligent network switch 9 is shown in FIG. 2. As illustrated, a master 91 and a plurality of slave modules (e.g., 92, 93, 94, and 95) are enclosed in a housing. In other words, a plurality of network switch modules 91, 92, 93, 94, and 95 are disposed within the housing. Each of master and slave modules comprises a circuit board having CPU and electronics provided therein and installed network operating system. All of the above modules are provided on a single stack, thus forming a single network switching system. In the network switching system, ports 922, 932, 942, and 952 of the slave modules are in information communication with port 912 of the master by interconnection. In detail, signals or packets may be communicated between CPUs of the master and slave modules through the ports. Hence, the ports are either general network I/O ports (i.e., In-Bands) or independent channels (i.e., Out-Bands). With such ports, the master 91 may manipulate the slave modules 92, 93, 94, and 95. In addition, other network I/O ports on the slave modules are in information communication with other associated network devices by interconnection.
As stated above, the master module 91 and the plurality of slave modules 92, 93, 94, and 95 are disposed within the intelligent network switch 9. While they are electrically coupled together, the electronics of circuit boards thereof are independent. In a case that designers and manufacturers of the master module 91 and slave modules 92, 93, 94, and 95 desire to allow network management person to perform a test thereon, it is required to couple an associated user I/O interface (e.g., RS-232) 911, 921, 931, 941, or 951 to each of the master and slave modules. Also, the user I/O interfaces are projected from housing of the intelligent network switch 9 so that network management person may couple the network monitoring devices to the user I/O interfaces 911, 921, 931, 941 and 951 sequentially prior to performing a required monitoring task on the master and slave modules 91, 92, 93, 94 and 95.
However, the prior art suffered from several disadvantages. For example, user I/O interfaces are projected from housing of the intelligent network switch. In a case that either a module therein is malfunctioned or network management person desires to perform network monitoring and management, system configuration and debugging, or software updating with respect to a certain module, such user I/O interfaces may cause confusion to the network management person in a visual identification. Moreover, such projected user I/O interfaces inevitably complicates an assembly procedure and increases cost of the intelligent network switch.
Thus, it is desirable to provide an intelligent apparatus capable of sharing a single user I/O interface among all intelligent modules thereof in order to overcome the above drawbacks of prior art.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an intelligent apparatus comprising a master module including a user input/output (I/O) interface, a first central processing unit (CPU), a first control circuit, and a plurality of switches including first and second switches with the first switch coupled between the first control circuit and the user I/O interface, the second switch coupled to the user I/O interface, and the first CPU coupled to the first switch, the second switch and the first control circuit respectively, so that the first CPU is operative to receive or send packets or signals through the first control circuit, and to open or close the first and the second switches; and a plurality of slave modules each including a second CPU, a second control circuit, and at least one third switch with the third switch coupled between the second control circuit and the second switch, and the second CPU coupled to the third switch and the second control circuit respectively, so that the second CPU of each slave module is operative to receive or send packets or signals through the second control circuit, and to open or close the third switch; wherein when the master module detects that a network monitoring device is coupled to the user I/O interface for performing a network monitoring and management, a system configuration, or a debugging with respect to one of the slave modules, the first CPUs are operative to connect or disconnect the switches for transferring an access right of the user I/O interface from the master module to one of the slave modules and enabling the module to receive signals sent from the user I/O interface. By utilizing this intelligent apparatus, it is possible of sharing a single user I/O interface among all of the intelligent master and slave modules.
In one aspect of the present invention the intelligent apparatus first utilizes software to determine a target of user I/O interface connected thereto. Then hardware of the intelligent apparatus issues a command to control an ON or OFF of a switch associated with one of the modules. In response, the said module receives the command also gaining an access right to the user I/O interface. As an end, a network management person may not be confused in a visual identification of the corresponding user I/O interface of one of the modules while performing network monitoring and management, system configuration and debugging, and software updating with respect to the specific module therein.
In another aspect of the present invention the intelligent apparatus enables a sharing of a single user I/O interface among all the modules provided on a single stack by transferring an access right of the user I/O interface to one of the modules. As a result, the number of user I/O interfaces provided on the intelligent apparatus is significantly reduced, the circuitry of each module is simplified, and the design and manufacturing costs of the intelligent apparatus are greatly reduced.